Articles
"He Was Heard"
The author of Hebrews says of Jesus, “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and suppli-cations with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety” (Hebrews 5:7).
This is a reference to Jesus’ experience in Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion. Jesus prayed three times—intensely—that the Father would remove the cup He was about to drink, the suffering He was about to undergo.
Our text says, “He was heard.” Jesus’ experience that night teaches us several important lessons.
First, Jesus was heard because of His piety, His “godly fear” (NKJV). While Jesus prayed for what He, as a man, desired, He did so with a disposition to submit to whatever the Father’s will was. “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will” (Mark 14:36).
When we pray, we must pray with confidence in the Father’s wisdom as well as His power. Our perspective is limited. Just as a parent knows better than a child, our heavenly Father knows far better than we what is best. We must pray with a heart that is ready to accept whatever the Father’s will is.
Second, though Jesus was heard, the Father’s answer was no. Too often people view a prayer as “heard” only when the answer is yes, when the thing prayed for comes to pass just as the petitioner wished.
The Father said no to Jesus’ request that He not have to drink the cup. At the same time, the Father said yes to Jesus’ request that the Father’s will be carried out. That teaches us that “heard” prayer is not necessarily granting the specific petition we have in mind, that which we assume is the best way to an end; it is, instead, granting what will most effectively accomplish God’s greater purpose. Jesus’ suffering, as difficult as it was for Him, brought infinitely greater blessings, both to Himself and to others, than the immediate relief of avoiding His crucifixion ordeal.
Third, while the Father did not grant Jesus’ immediate desire, He did do what He could that was consistent with His will. He sent help. “Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him” (Luke 22:43). The Father did not take away the burden; instead, He strengthened the bearer. Surely that is as great an indication of “heard” prayer as granting the actual petition would have been.
May we grow in our understanding, and in our use, of the marvelous blessing of prayer.
